1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to solar collectors, and more particularly to solar collectors useful for heating swimming pools.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Swimming pool heaters have of course been heretofore employed to provide for extended utilization of the pool especially during the spring and fall seasons. However, the increasingly high costs of and the large amounts of fuel necessary to heat an average size home swimming pool are higher than many pool owners can afford. In order to overcome such problems, various inexpensive swimming pool heating devices have been heretofore suggested which rely upon solar energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,443 to Smith, for example, describes a floating solar pool heater which is in the form of individual shallow pans that are intended to be floated on the surface of the water. As envisioned by the Smith patent, the pan includes a flat upper transparent or translucent cover formed of glass or plastic, a flat bottom wall formed of aluminum or reinforced plastic which is provided with a blackened surface to absorb the solar rays, and an intermediate dead air space. However, the pans suggested by this patent are not efficiently designed and require considerable storage space when not in use.
It has also been heretofore suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,920 to Yellot to provide a swimming pool cover to collect or reflect solar heat depending upon the season. Yellot's device comprises a composite laminated inflatable structure which in its solar collecting position includes a flat transparent upper surface, a darkened internal lower surface, an intermediate air space and a plurality of bottom layers. A device of this type is bulky to handle and store, precludes use of the pool when the water is being heated and also does not efficiently utilize solar energy as the source of heat.
Other more elaborate swimming pool heaters are dislosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,996,729; 3,076,450; 3,411,163; 3,453,666 and 3,598,104. Other patents describe devices useful for heating water internally; such patents include U.S. Pat Nos. 3,022,781; 3,029,806 and 3,077,190.
It would be desirable if there were provided a relatively inexpensive and efficient swimming pool heater which relied upon solar energy, was lightweight and easily storable and could be used simultaneously with utilization of the pool for swimming.